Beyoncé’s halftime performance at Superbowl 50 made everyone get “in-formation,” at least from her point of view. Surely ‘Queen Bee’ has managed to get everyone riled up once again, this time both negatively and positively.
Beyoncé’s new hit song, “Formation,” was released only a day before her 2016 Superbowl halftime performance where she addressed many significant topics with subliminal messages and symbolism. When she released her song, she made sure that everyone got the message loud and clear by presenting it as a music video so that viewers could see the hidden messages that might not be clear by just listening to the single.
In the video, the 34-year-old entertainer addresses many statements made about her and her family, offering responses to quiet her critics, including, “I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros,” addressing all the negative comments made about her daughter’s hair being sloppy and untamed.
Among the song’s lyrics are other controversial responses, but the most profound ones are those unspoken. In the video, Beyoncé is lying on top of a police car that, in the end, sinks in a body of water with her on top. Beyoncé does this to signify the corruption of the police system in America with frequent killings of African Americans. There is also a young black boy, wearing a hoodie and black clothing, dancing in front of an army of police. In the end, the little boy raises his hands in the air and all the police officers do the same. Beyoncé uses this to signify that even though it may be that black people, especially young black men, are at the mercy of the police now, the police will soon be at their mercy.
All of these metaphors were reinforced through Beyoncé’s halftime performance when all her backup dancers dressed as members of the Black Panthers society. Beyoncé is most definitely making a statement and doesn’t care who’s bothered it by it. As a public figure, she has finally voiced her opinion on an epidemic that is affecting the black community. Although her current stance on this issue has caused many police officers to protest her upcoming tour in April, Beyoncé is clearly unmoved and the Beyhive, Beyoncé’s loyal fan base, is in support of whatever action the entertainer decides to take.
Although one may understand why some police officers may be offended by her subliminal messages, the real question is, what do they have to be upset about? The fact that she’s speaking out on a serious injustice of law enforcement, the people who are supposed to protect us? Or are officers actually protesting because the limelight is being shed on their dirty laundry?
